The skin's appearance and health is continuously affected by various factors including, for example, humidity, UV light, cosmetics, aging, diseases, stress, cigarette smoking, and eating habits, each of which can result in various skin changes. Additionally, certain changes appear on the skin that is characteristic of aging or exposure to sun, many of which are reflected, in particular, by a change in the skin's structure. The main clinical signs of aging of the skin are, in particular, the appearance of fine lines and deep wrinkles, each of which can increase with age. Wrinkles can be caused by both the chronological aging of the skin, and photo aging of skin due to exposure of the skin to sunlight, UV-radiation, and other forms of actinic radiation.
It is well-known that sunlight radiation ranging from 290 to 400 nm is detrimental to organic materials, including human skin, and particularly radiation with wavelengths between 290 and 320 nm, so-called UV-B region is responsible for the occurrence of erythema and sunburns, whose severity depends on exposure length. Furthermore, it has been ascertained that radiation between 320 and 400 nm, so-called UV-A, which is responsible for skin tanning, can cause alterations and important damages in skin, especially in the case of sensitive skin, or in the case of continuous exposure to the radiation. It has been shown that UV-A radiation, besides causing damage to elastin and collagen, the consequence of which is skin ageing, can also be the cause of a number of phototoxic and photo allergic reactions. Moreover, the harmful action of UV-B can also be enhanced by the presence of UV-A.
Many commercial products, e.g., personal care, sunscreen, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial compositions which contain active or functional compounds are available. These active or functional compounds often require solubilization in the form of a solution, emulsion or dispersion, in aqueous or non-aqueous form. For example, sunscreen formulations containing aromatic compounds such as avobenzone (Escalol®517) and/or benzophenone-3 (Escalol®567) active UVA/UVB absorbing ingredients require a solubilization to prevent crystallization. Several such solubilizers are known, e.g., ethyl benzoate and a C12-C15 alkyl benzoate (Finosolve TN; Witconol APM manufactured and marketed by Witco). However, the former compound is a strong irritant, and the latter is only a poor solvent for avobenzone and benzophenone-3.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,166,275 and 7,691,363 assigned to ISP Investments Inc. disclose compositions of an active or functional organic compound solubilized in a phenyl ethyl ester which is an aryl carboxylic ester of 2-phenylethyl alcohol. The phenyl ethyl ester can be 2-phenylethyl benzoate, toluate or phthalate. The active or functional organic compound can be a solid organic compound, e.g., a personal care, cosmetic, sunscreen, pharmaceutical, agricultural or industrial compound. Preferred actives include active sunscreen ingredients, e.g., UVA and/or UVB sunscreens such as avobenzone and/or benzophenone-3. X-Tend™ 226, marketed by Ashland Specialty Ingredients, is the ester of 2-phenylethyl alcohol and benzoic acid. It has a high solubilizing capacity for solid organic sunscreen materials such as oxybenzone and avobenzone and has achieved widespread commercial acceptance. It exhibits excellent skin feel and also increases the critical wavelength and the UVA/UVB ratio of some formulations. It can also be used to enhance shine in hair sprays, shine sprays, or styling creams. It has colorless to light yellow liquid with faint odor of roses.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,573 assigned to ISP Investments Inc. discloses active or functional organic compounds solubilized by an ester of an aryl alcohol, e.g., phenethyl, benzyl or substituted benzyl alcohol, and an alkyl or cycloalkyl carboxylic acid, or by a carbonate of the aryl alcohol and an alkyl or cycloalkyl carbonic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,721 assigned to L'Oreal, discloses a cosmetic composition including an active or functional organic compound, which is solubilized by a safe and effective organic solvent such as an aryl carboxylic ester of 2-phenylethyl alcohol, e.g. 2-phenylethyl benzoate, 2-phenylethyl toluate or di-2-phenylethyl phthalate.
Despite the solutions proposed by the aforementioned patents and other approaches described in the published literature, there still exists a need for an effective cosmetic or dermatological composition to reduce skin damage by exposure to UV radiation.
Thus it is desired to provide improved cosmetic or dermatological compositions having better solubilizing compounds that are capable of solubilizing functional or organic compounds employed therein, particularly at low temperatures, and at the same time having greater regulatory acceptability and consumer acceptability such as reduced irritation or hypoallergic, odorless (free of pungent odor) and/or colorless that causes inconvenience to users.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present application is to provide a photo protective composition capable of eliminating or reducing undesired properties such as instability, irritation, allergy, pungent odor, color, and other related issues.